Hudson Valley Wine Village seen as ‘game changer’ for town of Lloyd (VIDEOS)

By
Ariel Zangla, Daily Freeman

Thursday, February 20, 2014

LLOYD >> Once final approvals are received, infrastructure work will begin on the proposed Hudson Valley Wine Village, a $273 million hotel, housing and commercial development that will include a conference center and light industrial space on 429 acres at U.S. Route 9W and Blue Point Road, developer Andrew Maxon said Thursday.

According to plans presented at a press conference, the complex will be built in phases over 20 years and include a 103-suite hotel, conference center, spa and restaurant, 155,000 square feet of office and commercial space, and 847 residential units, including apartments, townhouses and single-family homes. A former winery on the property will be adapted for reuse, and much of the land will remain undeveloped, including the bluff overlooking the Hudson River.

“I think it’s a game changer for our town,” Lloyd Supervisor Paul Hansut said. Hansut said the project has been vetted and developers have responded to public concerns.

The construction phase is expected create 164 new jobs, and once it’s completed, the Hudson Valley Wine Village is expected to directly employ 1,438 people and generate another 381 “indirect” jobs in the town, the developer said.

As a result of the project, the town can expect to receive an increase of $610,295 in general fund taxes, and $34,443 in annual sales tax distributions, according to the development team. At full build-out, town and special district tax revenue is projected to reach $1.9 million annually, with the Highland school district seeing a “net positive impact” of $3.67 million, according to the team.

Maxon said a public hearing on the proposed project is scheduled for 7 p.m. March 19 at Lloyd Town Hall, 12 Church St., Highland. Written comments will be accepted through April 17. Developers will respond to public comments in a final environmental impact statement, he said.

Maxon said he is hopeful the project will receive final approvals within 180 days of the impact statement being completed.

“So our commitment is, as soon as the project is approved, to commence getting this shovel-ready,” Maxon said. “Provide the infrastructure and be ready to go. First phase hopefully will be a combination of the conference center and the light industrial, create the tax radicals and bring the jobs.”

Maxon said the property owners would pay for the infrastructure work out of pocket and with any grants they can obtain. He said financing for the construction would come from a variety of sources still to be determined.

The new development is expected to create new jobs, which in turn should create a demand for the housing, Maxon said.